Just one person, without any group dancing inbetween? How is that possible?
— Three-time world champion Patrick Chan from Canada, interview with Akiko Tamura, AERA, published on March 7, 2023
I think, Yuzu is the only person in the world who can do that. It’s unbelievable stamina.
In figure skating, the transition from competitive to professional skating was long perceived as a “semi-retirement” and used to come with a shift in focus from athletic to artistic skills. Only few skaters keep performing difficult technical elements after turning professional. Back in 1998, Christine Brennan from USA Today criticised Olympic champion Tara Lipinski’s decision to turn pro, claiming that she had taken “the easy way out”, and even compared it to “joining the circus”.
Hanyu took a new approach after leaving competition in summer 2022. He preserved the technical skating content and increased his physical capacity, enabling him to perform at the highest athletic level up to 40 minutes a day. With that unique ability, he became the first skater to produce a solo show, opening the door to solo artist careers in figure skating. The following articles give a more detailed breakdown and critical reception of Hanyu’s ice show productions with focus on his solo shows.
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Yuzuru Hanyu Legacy 